Display stand



W. B. WEST DISPLAY STAND March 4, 1941.

Filed Feb. '26, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR m r w 8 W M March 4; in: w, 5 WEST 222,234,032

DISPLAY STAND Filed Feb. 26, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORN EY$ Patented Mar. 4, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT orrics Beech-Nut Packing Company,

Canajoharie,

N. Y., a corporation of New York Application February '26, 1940, Serial No. 320,796

5 Claims.

The present invention relates to display stands, and has special reference to stands for displaying small packages such as the conventional five cent packages of chewing gum and candies.

Manufacturers of such products customarily supply the stores with stands of this character for displaying large quantities of the packages on their counters. The arranging of the packages on the stands is left to the judgment of the Storekeeper or the one replenishing the packages, and with the stands heretofore in use it frequently happens that the packages are not uniformly displayed to the best advantage.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a display stand of the character indicated, which is so constructed as to make it necessary to arrange the articles on the stand in a particular manner, and when thus arranged the articles are displayed to the best advantage.

Another object of the invention is to provide a display stand which is adapted to display articles in a novel and improved manner.

Another of the objects of the invention is to provide a display stand of this character which is simple in construction and convenient in use.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated, by way of example, in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a view in perspective of the stand with packages such as five cent packages of chewing gum and candy displayed thereon;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view, taken substantially on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view, on an enlarged scale, corresponding to a portion of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 is a view in perspective of an auxiliary shelf or tray forming a component part of the stand, a portion thereof being shown broken away and in section.

My improved display stand as illustrated in the drawings, is provided with side walls 2 which are arranged vertically and have their upper edges inclined downwardly and forwardly, said edges being preferably curved as shown at their upper and lower ends. The front edges of the side walls are connected by a front wall 4 which has its upper portion curved in conformity with the corresponding portions of the edges of the side walls. The side Walls may further be connected by a channel member 6 arranged at the rear portion of their lower edges and by a memher 8 connecting the upper portions of their rear edges.

The stand is further provided with a plurality of shelves l0 which extend between the side walls and are spaced one above and to the rear of the other.

Each shelf I0 is inclined slightly upwardly and forwardly, preferably at an angle of substantially eleven (11) degrees. Each of the shelves has a back wall l2 which is inclined upwardly and rearwardly from the shelf, preferably at an angle of substantially 133 degrees. The back wall of each of the two lower shelves has its upper end secured to the overlying shelf. The back wall l2 of the uppermost shelf has its upper end bent over the member 8 and then upwardly to form a slot M in which the lower edge of a display card may be inserted. Said member 8 may form a continuationof the upper shelf III as shown.

Each of the shelves H] has an upright flange l6 at its forward edge, the front wall 4 of the stand having its upper edge bent over the upper edge of the flange it of the lowermost shelf.

The lowermost shelf is provided with upstanding ribs extending longitudinally thereof and spaced apart. These ribs permit small five cent boxes 22 of candy-coated chewing gum or the like to be positioned on the lower shelf with their lower edges between the ridges 20 and with the rearmost boxes laid against the back wall [2 of the lower shelf.

Each of the two upper shelves is provided with steps 24. The rearmost step 24 of each of these shelves is arranged at an angle of 90 degrees to the back wall I2, and the remaining steps on each shelf are arranged in planes parallel thereto. The front and rear edges of adjacent steps are connected by walls 28 that are arranged parallel with the back wall.

The steps 24 and the wall 26 may be formed in any suitable manner, and as shown consist of a strip of sheet metal extending between the side Walls and bent to form the steps.

The lower shelf has an auxiliary shelf or tray mounted thereon. This tray has depending lugs 28 on its front and rear edges which are adapted to be received in slots 30 in the lower shelf to hold the tray in position on the shelf. There may be two sets of these slots 30, one at each end of the lower shelf so as to permit the tray to be positioned at either end of the shelf as desired.

This auxiliary tray comprises a strip that is shaped to form the longitudinally extending steps 24, and atthe end of' these steps are angle irons 32 having their upper edges substantially flush with the top forward edges of the steps. When the auxiliary tray is in position on the lower shelf, the rearmost step 24 is arranged at an angle of 90 degrees to the associated back wall 12, and the other steps are arranged in planes parallel to the rearmost step. The front and rear edges of these steps are connected by the walls 26 parallel with the back wall I2 as in the case of the steps mounted on the two upper shelves.

The steps 24 of both the lower and two upper shelves are of a width corresponding to the width of the lateral sides or edges of the conventional five cent package of gum 34.

, In arranging the packages of stick gum on the shelves, they are positioned with one of their lateral sides or edges resting on the steps, and in the case of the package on the rearmost step, the back face of the package rests against the back wall I2. The packages may be stacked one above the other as shown in Fig. 4.

With this arrangement,'the packages of gun. in View are all displayed at an angleface out, and such a display is uniform for all of the packages in View. This has a decided advantage over the arrangement of the packages in the usual display stand inwhich it frequently happens that only the edges of the packages are displayed, while the most attractive and distinguishing parts of the wrappers or labels of such packages are the faces thereof.' It may be noted that in the present display, the edges or lateral sides of the packages are for the most part positionedso that they are not visible from the front of the stand, but that the entire faces of the packages are in view at the most convenient angle for displaypurposes;

The steps 24 may likewise be used for supporting circular-or oval packages 36 of candies as shown in Fig. 2. In the case of oval packages the wider 'faces thereof are displayed.

With this step arrangement on the shelves, it may be noted that the Storekeeper can most easily and conveniently stack the packages of gum and other articleson the steps in the manner described, and nothing is left to his discretion as to the proper arrangement of the articles in the stack.

The auxiliary shelf or tray permits setting up of the stand with 'the active side either to the right or the left with respect-to the merchandise displayed on the lower shelf.

In some cases, in addition to displaying small packages of chewing gum and candies on the shelves, it'may be desired to display candy bars or the like. Where this is desired, a collapsible platform or tray 4c is provided which may be attached to the rear end of the display stand. This auxiliary platform may be of suitable shape to contain the articles and may be divided longitudinally by a partition 42 so as to form separate compartments. This partition is secured to the bottom 44 of the platfo rm by depending lugs d6 thereon that are received in slots '48. There may be a series of these slots so as to permit the partition to be placed in different positions fore and aft of the platform.

The platform is secured to the stand by means of a depending flange 50 on the forward edge thereof which is adapted to be received in the display card slot M so as to support the forward portion of the platform. The rear portion of the platform may be supported by legs 52 at the ends thereof which are held in upright position by struts 54. These struts are pivoted at 56 on the underside'of the platform and their free ends are bent to form angular lugs 58 each of which may be received in a slot or aperture 60 in the associated leg. For shipping purposes or when the platform is not in use, the struts 54 may be sprung out of engagement with the legs 52 and the legs swung up against the underside of the platform.

As will be evident to those skilled in the art my invention permits various modifications without departing from the spirit thereof or the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is: 1. In a stand of the class described for displaywardly at an angle of substantially 11 degrees, a back wall extending between the'rear portion of said inclined shelf and the shelf above and arranged at an angle of approximately 133 degrees to said inclined shelf, and a series of steps on said inclined shelf spaced one behind the other with each shelf corresponding in width to to the width of one of the lateral sides or edges of a five cent package of gum, the rearmost step beingat an angle of 90 degrees to the associated back wall and the remaining steps on the shelf being in planes parallel with said rear step, and the front and rear edges of adjacent steps being connected by walls arranged in planes parallel with said back wall.

2. In a stand of the class described for displaying small packages, side walls, shelves extending between the side walls and spaced one above and to the rear of the other, at least one of the shelves being inclined slightly upwardly and forwardly, a back wall extending between the rear edge of said inclined shelf and the shelf above and arranged at an obtuse angle to said inclined shelf, and a series of steps on said inclined shelf spaced one behind the other, the

rearmost step being at an angle of 90 degrees to the associated back wall and the remaining steps on the shelf being in a plane parallel with said rear step, and the front and rear edges of adjacent steps being connected by walls arranged parallel with said back wall,

3. In a stand of the class described for displaying small packages, sidewalls, a shelf extending between the side walls, a wall at the rear of the shelf arranged at an obtuse angle therewith, a series of steps on said shelf spaced one behind theother, the rearmost step being at an angle of 90 degrees'to said back wall and the remaining steps on the shelf being in planes parallelwith said latter step, and the front and rear edges of adjacent steps being connected by walls arranged in planes parallel with said back wall.

4. In a stand of the class described for displaying small packages, side walls, shelves extending between the side walls and spaced one above the other, at least one of said shelves being inclined upwardly and forwardly at a slight angle, a back wall extending between the rear edge of said inclined shelf and the shelf above and arranged at an obtuse angle to said inclined shelf, a tray of substantially the width of said inclined shelf but of shorter length adapted to be placed-in different positions longitudinally of the shelf, said tray and shelf having means for securing the shelf in the position moved, said tray having a plurality of steps, the rearmost step being when the tray is in position on the shelf at an angle of substantially 90 degrees to said back wall and the remaining steps of the tray being in planes parallel with said rear step, and the front and rear edges of adjacent steps being connected by walls arranged in planes parallel with said back wall.

5. In a stand of the class described for dis playing small packages, side Walls having their upper edges inclined upwardly and rearwardly,

10 a back Wall connecting the rear edges of the side walls, a member adjacent the upper edge of the rear Wall providing a slot for the r-eoeption of the lower edge portion of a display card, and an auxiliary tray or platform having a depending flange at its forward edge adapted to be received in said slot to support the forward edge of the platform, and foidable legs for supporting the rear portion of said tray.

NILLIAIMI 13. WEST 

